


The Blessing

by StratusCloudSurfer



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Anxious!Red, Established Relationship, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Ookido Yukinari-hakase | Professor Samuel Oak Being an Asshole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:33:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26521465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StratusCloudSurfer/pseuds/StratusCloudSurfer
Summary: Red tackles his bashfulness to ask for Professor Oak's blessing before proposing to Blue, but doesn't quite get the answer he's looking for.Based loosely off of the song "Rude" by MAGIC!
Relationships: Ookido Green | Blue Oak/Red
Comments: 4
Kudos: 74





	The Blessing

Red wiped his sweaty palms on his pants for what had to be the tenth time this morning as he approached the Pokemon Professor’s lab. He was dressed in the nicest clothes he could find--a pair of black slacks and a gray shirt that he had tucked in. He’d taken his hat off and combed his dark hair in an attempt to look even more neat and tidy--although he now wished he hadn’t, because he felt nearly naked without it. Whenever he felt as nervous as he did now, it gave him something to grab onto. But now it was gone, so he compulsively ran a few fingers through his hair, instead.

It wasn’t uncommon for him to feel a little anxious before large social gatherings, such as parties or conventions. Social interaction had the tendency to make his palms a little clammy and his body a bit tense. Usually, though, he could tackle a conversation with someone with only a mild degree of anxiety that quickly faded soon after he’d shaken hands with the other person and sat down to talk. 

This, however, was on a whole new level. 

Red hadn’t felt this nervous in… well, ever, as far as he could remember. He’d been dreading the conversation that he was about to initiate for the past week, although he had long since planned out what he was going to say. In fact, he had been rehearsing it every night in his head since he’d bought the ring from the jewelry shop in Saffron City. Despite that, as soon as he gripped the door handle to the front door, the entire mental script flew away like a discarded plastic wrapper on a windy day. 

He thought about turning around and leaving right then. He could go back home, dress in something more comfortable, pack some snacks in a bag and go out into the wild to train a bit in the wilderness--where he felt comfortable. That was what he would normally be doing on a day like today, anyway. It was very tempting.

_ No _ , he told himself with a shake of his head. _ Not now. _ He was just about to open the door, for Helix sake. He had gone too far to go back now. 

With one last resolute breath, he opened the door and stepped inside. 

He purposefully strode across the clean, sterile floor until he reached the back of the lab, where he found Professor Oak sipping coffee in front of a computer screen. He turned around at his arrival and smiled jovially up at him. “Ah, good morning, Red,” he greeted. “What can I do for you?” 

“I want to talk,” he said, cutting right to the chase. This wasn’t how he had imagined he’d start the conversation, but that didn’t really matter now. “About Blue.” 

Instantly, the Professor’s smile dropped into a frown, and his nose scrunched up, as if he had eaten something sour. His eyes narrowed a bit, and his eyebrows drew downward. “What about Blue?” he asked slowly, and the skepticism in his voice was palpable. 

Spotting an empty chair and thinking that he might pass out if he stood any longer, Red asked, “Can I sit down?” 

“By all means,” the Professor replied, his tone flat and terse. He gestured towards the chair with a careless motion of the wrist, but he didn’t smile, didn’t laugh--didn’t indicate in any way that he was welcome. 

Nevertheless, Red repositioned the chair so as to where he could face the Professor, and promptly sat down in it. The Professor turned away from the computer screen, crossed his arms over his chest, and stared him down frowning until he stopped wringing his hands and began to speak. 

“So,” he cleared his throat. He felt heat sweep over his face and sweat break out on his forehead in anticipation of what he was about to express. “Blue and I have been dating a while. I… really care about him, and--” 

“I see where this is going,” Professor Oak interjected. “And my answer is no.” 

Red jerked a little in shock. “What?” he asked, reflexively. 

“You heard me. I said no.” 

“I haven’t even asked anything yet.” 

“You don’t have to. I know why you’re here,” the Professor said. His voice rose as he asked, “You’re going to ask me if it was alright for you to propose to my grandson, yes?” 

“Well… yeah,” Red admitted, too shocked to say anything else. 

“I had a feeling that would be it,” he said. “Well, there you have it. Is there anything else I can do for you?” 

Red shook his head slowly, in disbelief. He couldn’t quite believe that he had been shut down so quickly. Granted, he knew that the Professor didn't exactly approve of their relationship. He was an old man, so they say--"set in his ways." But he had never outwardly expressed his disapproval. Until now, that was.

“No,” he sputtered. “No, just… Well, you know I’m going to do it anyway.” 

He watched Oak go still and his eyes widen in shock. He didn’t blame him—he felt his own chest seize with shock at the words that he hadn’t planned on saying. Now, though, he felt his fingers begin to shake and anger begin to pulse through him. Abruptly, he stood up, took a deep breath, and let the words rush out of him without stopping to think about them first. 

“I don’t care what you think. Not really. I’ve already made up my mind. I know he’s in love with me, and I’m in love with him, so I’m going to propose to him, and he’s going to say yes, and we’re going to get married, whether you like it or not. I only asked you as a courtesy. As a warning, if you want to call it that. Because for some unknown reason, Blue respects you even if you are a judgmental old man, and he wants you there. So love me or hate me, you  _ will _ be there.” 

Oak stared at him, his mouth hanging open. He didn’t say anything in response. He looked so surprised that Red worried for a second that he was about to fall over. After several moments of silence, he was tempted to ask him if he was ok. He shook the thought out of his head, strengthening his resolve. 

“Got it?” He demanded instead, letting his eyes narrow and his fists bunch, as if in preparation for a battle. 

“Yeah,” Oak replied, sounding dazed. “I think I’ve got it.” 

Red couldn’t believe what he had just heard, that the old man hadn’t decided to double down and dig his heels in harder. His courage faltered a little at the unexpected but admittedly happy surprise, but he forced it to stay in place, at least for a few seconds longer. 

“Good,” he growled, and with that spun around and stalked out of the lab, slamming the door behind him. 

It wasn’t until he was outside that he could breathe again. In fact, as soon as the door was closed behind him, he felt a huge breath explode from his lungs, one that he couldn’t remember consciously holding. Relief flushed through him like adrenaline, and he let out a laugh half in joy and half in disbelief. 

Maybe he hadn’t gotten what he had came for, but it didn’t matter. Because he was going to ask Blue to marry him, and there was absolutely nothing that anyone could do to stop him.


End file.
